Jennies Basketball Comeback Bid Falls Short in Loss to MSU-Moorhead

Box Score | Season Stats

LAS VEGAS - Trailing by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter, Central Missouri Jennies basketball came all the way back to take a one-point lead, but couldn't hold on, falling 63-58 to Minnesota-St. Moorhead playing in Las Vegas. The loss gets the Jennies off to an 0-2 start in the 2015-16 season.

Senior Tayler Weiks led the Jennies scoring 18 points. She made 7-of-13 from the field including 4-of-10 from beyond the arc. Senior Ashley Jones had a strong game, recording her first double-double as Jennie with 11 points and 11 rebounds, including five boards on the offensive glass. Junior Cierra Gaines also finished in double-digit points with 11.

Central Missouri outshot the Dragons 39% - to - 37% and had five more made field goals. Free throw shooting proved to be the difference as MSUM connected on 21-of-27 attempts while the Jennies made just 4-of-8.

The Jennies came out strong, hitting three of their first five shots, including three-point buckets from Weiks and Ashley Duffy, and jumping to an 8-2 lead, less than two minutes into the game. The offense went cold after that, scoring just seven more points and were down four, 19-15, after the first frame.

The Dragons extended their lead to nine at one point in the second period, and went into halftime with a seven point edge, 33-26.

UCM briefly got to within one in the third period, 40-39, but the Dragons used a 9-1 run to head into the fourth period up nine, 40-39.

The Jennies were rolling to start the fourth period, determined to get back into the game. Five different Jennies scored during a 12-2 run in which the Jennies took their first lead since the opening stanza. After Central Missouri took the lead, both teams went in drought and more than two minutes passed before a basket was made. The two teams went back-and-forth with neither holding more than a one-point advantage for more than five minutes.

The Dragons hit a pair of free throws to go up three with under a minute remaining. Gaines then nailed a jumper with 15 ticks left to get UCM back to within one, 59-58, but MSUM hit all four free throws with under ten seconds to go to ice the game.

Minnesota-St. Moorhead's Savanna Handevidt scored a game-high 20 points, going 7-of-8 from the floor. Heather Strese had a double-double for the Dragons with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Central Missouri is back in action Wednesday, Nov. 18 for their home opener against William Jewell. Tip off is schedule for 5:30 p.m.